Global Governance & The Millenium Development Goals

One way to increase the profile of environment and governance in poverty reduction is to make them more dynamic players in the global effort to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs represent a new commitment by the world community to concentrate on poverty alleviation. Nations have endorsed a limited set of universally accepted goals and time-bound targets, and have promised to measure progress toward these goals and hold the community of nations accountable. Environmental sustainability is formally recognized in the MDGs within Goal 7, with a specific commitment to “Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs and reverse the loss of environmental resources.”

Unfortunately, this sustainable development target is the least specific and the least understood by nations of all the MDG targets, making it easy to pass over in favor of targets that are simpler to understand and measure, such as the provision of safe drinking water, or the reduction of infant mortality. In addition, no specific measures of governance (with the exception of measuring the tenure security of urban slum dwellers) are included in the sustainable development target, so the essential tie between a healthier environment and the governance of natural resources is missing. Further, the idea that the sustainable development goal is basic to the achievement of all the other goals and central to lasting progress against poverty is acknowledged in the MDG structure, but not clearly elaborated in a way that guides nations to act or gives them adequate measures of how well they are integrating sustainable development principles in their work to meet the other MDGs. Addressing these important shortcomings requires clearer guidance on the links between ecosystems, governance, and each Millennium Goal, as well as an expanded slate of indicators that better encompasses the governance dimension of these goals.